1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic light-sensitive material, particularly to a multi-layer color photographic light-sensitive material. More particularly, it relates to an interlayer having the property of substantially preventing color mixing, thereby improving the color separation property of the material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a photographic light-sensitive material for a color diffusion transfer process in which a photographic light-sensitive material containing a compound which releases a diffusible dye upon redox reaction induced by development of exposed silver halide (diffusible dye releasing type redox compound) is developed with a black and white developing agent, for example, phenidone, the oxidation product of the developing agent formed by development of silver halide should desirably react only with a dye releasing redox compound associated therewith. Therefore, it has been known that a layer containing a color mixing preventing agent, that is, a substance which is capable of reacting appropriately with the oxidation product of a developing agent, for example, a hydroquinone derivative, is provided in the light-sensitive material for the purpose of preventing the oxidation product of a developing agent from diffusing into a layer containing a dye releasing redox compound which is not connected therewith, as described in Research Disclosure, Vol. 152, No. 15162 (November, 1976).
Alkyl hydroquinones and di-alkyl hydroquinones are well known as hydroquinone derivatives for preventing color mixing. In particular, it is known that a mixture of hydroquinone derivatives as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) 2128/71 (The term "OPI" as used herein refers to a "published unexamined Japanese patent application".) has a melting point of 100.degree. C. or less and most of them are liquid or waxen. Thus a high boiling solvent (oil) for dispersion thereof is not necessary in order to obtain a stable dispersion thereof. That is, such hydroquinone derivatives do not crystallize from the dispersion in a hydrophilic colloid layer before, during, or after coating in the absence of a high boiling solvent (oil) for dispersion.
Disadvantageously, however, since most mixtures of hydroquinone derivatives are liquid at room temperature, various undesirable secondary effects accompany their use. For example, one such effect is the migration of the mixture into other layers of a multi-layer color photographic light-sensitive material; another is the migration of components dispersed in other layers into a layer for preventing color mixing containing such hydroquinone derivatives. These secondary effects are the same difficulties frequently observed generally when a high boiling solvent (oil) is incorporated into a light-sensitive material, namely, a decrease in stability during storage (also referred to as "shelf life") of the light-sensitive material (due to mixing occurring between layers due to the storage under relatively high temperature conditions, etc.), a decrease in adhesion between layers, and migration of the oily hydroquinone derivatives to a surface of the light-sensitive material. In particular, where the ratio of the amount of the hydrophilic colloid binder (for example, gelatin) to the amount of the liquid mixture hydroquinone derivatives becomes small, such tendencies increase, which is necessarily an obstacle to the desirable goal of decreasing the thickness of the photographic material. These problems occur not only in photographic light-sensitive materials for color diffusion transfer processes, but also in conventional color photographic light-sensitive materials in which color couplers, etc. are used.
Although it is known that a solid hydroquinone derivative (not a liquid mixture) and the polymer used in the present invention form a solid complex through hydrogen bonds, as described in Japanese patent application (OPI) 41633/72.